u  iU^ocwuve  4&f2uu ~e/i^ed  <vt  -vfve  Jie--o|'V€ftvurv.}  -o  ?/  ;tHe 
S-e^-vt.  27,  1 874,  -Ewi  Clva/vt^j.  ikxitye,. 
Porim/^e/wa ,  U.  - 


r.  mi  < 

i874. 


Jrincdon  ®hi'i)lor)ical  Jfomhtarg. 


A  DISCOURSE 


DELIVERED  AT  THE 


RE-OPENING  OF  THE  CHAPEL, 

SEPTEMBER  27,  1874. 

BY 

CHARLES  HODGE , 

THE  SENIOR  PROFESSOR. 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

CHAS.  S.  ROBINSON,  PRINTER. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/discoursedeliver00hodg_0 


DISCOURSE. 


It  pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching  ‘to  save  them  that  believe. 
I.  Cor.  I  :  21. 

The  Bible  assumes  all  primary  truths — whether 
principles  of  reason  or  facts  of  consciousness — and 
by  assuming,  authenticates  them. 

It  assumes  i.  That  man  has  a  soul  capable  of 
conscious  existence  and  activity  without  the  body  ; 
and  that  the  soul  is  the  man — that  in  which  his 
personality  and  identity  reside.  Abraham,  Isaac  and 
Jacob  are  alive,  and  are  now  the  same  persons  as 
when  they  dwelt  on  earth. 

2.  It  assumes  that  man  is  a  free  moral  agent; 
dependent,  responsible  and  immortal. 

3.  It  assumes  that  the  well-being  of  all  creatures 
depends  on  their  preserving  their  normal  relation  to 
^God. 

4.  It  assumes  that  man  has  by  sin  lost  his  normal 
relation  to  God,  and  that  by  no  effort  of  his  own, 
and  by  no  aid  from  any  creature,  can  he  be  restored 

^  to  the  divine  fellowship  and  favor. 


4 


These  are  among  the  assumptions  of  the  Bible  ; 
and  they  are  all  self-evident  truths.  They  enter 
into  the  convictions  of  all  men  in  all  ages  of  the 
world. 

The  Bible  teaches  concerning  fallen  men : 

1.  That  it  pleased  God,  out  of  his  mere  good 
mercy,  to  determine  not  to  leave  them  in  their  estate 
of  sin  and  misery  but  to  bring  them  into  an  estate 
of  salvation  by  a  Redeemer. 

2.  That  the  only  Redeemer  of  men  is  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  being  the  eternal  Son  of  God 
became  man,  and  so  was,  and  continues  to  be  both 
God  and  man,  in  two  distinct  natures,  and  one  person 
forever. 

3.  That  Christ  effects  our  redemption  by  exercis¬ 
ing  in  our  behalf  the  offices  of  Prophet,  Priest,  and 
King,  He  is  Prophet  or  teacher,  not  only  as  He  is 
the  Logos,  the  Word,  the  Revealer,  the  dTrauyaa/jia 
or  effulgent  image  of  God,  but  specially  as  he  reveals 
to  us  the  will  of  God  for  our  salvation.  He  is  our 
Priest  in  that  He  offered  himself  unto  God  as  a  sac¬ 
rifice  to  satisfy  divine  justice,  and  in  that  He  ever 
lives  to  make  intercession  for  us.  He  is  our  King 
because  He  subdues  us  unto  Himself,  rules  in,  and 
reigns  over  us,  and  conquers  all  His  and  our  enemies. 

4.  The  Bible  further  teaches  that  the  divinely 
appointed  means  for  applying  to  men  the  benefits  of' 


5 


Christ’s  redemption  is  “  the  foolishness  of  preach¬ 
ing.”  It  is  so  called  because,  so  far  as  the  method 
of  salvation  is  concerned,  the  wisdom  of  men  is  fool¬ 
ishness  with  God  ;  and  the  wisdom  of  God  is  fool¬ 
ishness  with  man.  In  the  beginning  the  gospel  was 
a  stumbling-block  to  the  Jews  and  foolishness  to  the 
Greek.  We  ought  not,  therefore,  to  be  either  sur¬ 
prised  or  concerned  when,  in  our  day,  we  hear  the 
hierarchs  of  science  proclaiming  from  their  high 
places,  that  the  supernatural  is  impossible,  and  that 
all  faith  is  superstition.  It  has  always  been  so  and 
always  will  be  so.  Nevertheless  in  spite  of  the 
opposition  of  the  Jews  and  of  the  contempt  of  the 
Greek,  the  gospel  was,  is,  and  will  continue  to  be  the 
wisdom  of  God  and  the  power  of  God  unto  salva¬ 
tion. 

Two  things  are  included  in  peaching.  First,  the 
communication  to  be  made  is  of  the  nature  of  a 
message.  Paul  says,  “  It  pleased  God  to  save  men 
fuofjia  xTjpuyfiaxot;.”  The  preacher,  therefore,  is  a 
Krjprj?,  a  Herald.  It  is  the  office  of  a  herald  to  pro¬ 
claim  what  he  is  commanded  to  announce.  He  is 
not  responsible  for  the  truth  or  wisdom  of  what  he 
communicates.  If  sent  to  a  besieged  city,  should  he 
presume  to  modify  the  message  he  was  commissioned 
to  deliver,  he  would  be  false  to  the  very  idea  of  his 
'  office.  And  so  the  preacher,  who  is  the  messenger 


6 


of  God,  if  he  delivers  his  own  speculations,  what  he 
thinks  is  true  and  right  instead  of  what  God  has 
taught,  he  too  is  false  to  the  nature  of  his  office. 

In  the  context  Paul  contrasts  Philosophy  and 
the  Gospel.  The  former  is  the  product  of  human 
reason  ;  the  speculations  of  men  as  to  God,  the 
universe,  man,  the  future  state,  and  the  means  of 
delivery  from  moral  and  physical  evil.  Philosophy 
in  this  sense  the  apostle  pronounces  to  be  foolish¬ 
ness.  He  says  that  it  is  “  vain that  is,  empty, 
worthless,  powerless.  In  contrast  with  this  he  says 
that  he  as  a  preacher  proclaimed  the  wisdom  of  God  ; 
that  is,  truths  which  had  never  entered  in  the  mind 
of  man.  but  which  God  had  revealed  by  his  Spirit. 
A  preacher,  therefore,  in  the  scriptural  sense  of  the 
word,  is  a  herald,  a  messenger,  one  sent  to  tell  men 
what  God  has  revealed  in  the  Scriptures — nothing 
more  and  nothing  less.  This  every  minister  of  the 
gospel  vows  to  do.  Vows  are  not  to  be  taken 
except  on  proper  occasions  and  after  due  delibera¬ 
tion.  They  are  voluntary  ;  but  when  taken  they 
bind  the  conscience  with  the  stringency  of  an  oath. 
The  baptismal  service  involves  a  vow,  so  does  attend¬ 
ance  on  the  Lord’s  Supper,  so  does  ordination,  and 
so  does  the  act  of  seeking  the  ministry.  The  man 
who  seeks  the  office  of  a  herald  does  thereby  prom¬ 
ise  to  deliver  simply  and  faithfully  the  message 


7 


intrusted  to  him.  So  also  the  man  who  seeks  the 
office  of  the  ministry  does  by  that  very  act  vow,  that 
is,  promise  to  God,  that,  if  permitted  to  enter  on  that 
work,  he  will  not  deliver  his  own  speculations,  or 
doctrines  which  rest  on  mere  human  authority,  but 
simply  and  solely  what  God  has  revealed  in  his 
word.  This  is  a  truth  which  should  be  engraved  not 
only  on  the  heart  and  conscience  of  every  minister 
and  of  every  candidate  for  the  ministry,  but  also  on 
the  palms  of  his  hands,  that  it  may  be  ever  before 
his  eyes.  To  no  one  thing  in  the  whole  history  of 
the  church,  is  so  much  evil  to  be  attributed  as  to 
ministers  forgetting  that  they  are  mere  messengers, 
and  presuming  to  substitute  their  wisdom  for  the 
wisdom  of  God,  preaching  for  doctrines  the  com¬ 
mandments  of  men. 

The  second  idea  included  in  preaching  is,  that  it 
is  a  method  of  oral  instruction.  It  hath  pleased  God 
to  make  the  proclamation  of  the  gospel  by  the  liv¬ 
ing  teacher  the  great  means  of  salvation.  Other 
methods  of  instruction  are  important,  this  is  indis¬ 
pensable.  The  ordinances  of  God  are  not  arbitrary  ; 
they  are  founded  on  the  nature  or  the  present  cir¬ 
cumstances  of  man.  God  has  so  made  us  that  the 
human  voice  is  the  most  effective  instrument  for 
conviction  and  persuasion.  Therefore  it  is  that  God 
has  adopted  it  as  his  great  instrument  in  saving 


8 


men.  Whitfield’s  sermons  as  delivered  stirred  the 
hearts  of  thousands,  as  read  they  are  almost  power¬ 
less. 

5.  The  Bible  teaches  that  as  preaching  is  the 
appointed  means  of  salvation,  God  has  ordained 
that  there  shall  be  in  his  Church  a  class  of  men 
specially  set  apart  to  that  service.  No  religion  has 
ever  been  sustained  or  propagated  without  a  priest¬ 
hood  or  a  ministry.  Under  the  Old  Dispensation 
the  whole  tribe  of  Levi  was  set  apart  for  the  instruc¬ 
tion  of  the  people.  Our  Lord  chose  twelve  apostles 
and  commanded  them  to  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature.  They,  in  the  execution  of  their  commis¬ 
sion,  ordained  pastors  and  teachers  in  every  city. 
They  prescribed  the  qualifications  for  the  work  of 
the  ministry,  and  gave  directions  as  to  the  mode  in 
which  men  should  be  set  apart  to  the  office.  Accord¬ 
ingly,  from  the  apostolic  age  to  the  present  time,  in  all 
parts  of  the  Church,  there  has  been  a  class  of  men 
set  apart  as  preachers. 

But  if  the  ministry  be  an  office,  it  cannot  be 
assumed  at  pleasure,  by  any  man.  He  must  be 
duly  called  to  the  work.  That  call  is  from  God. 
Paul  charged  the  presbyters  of  Ephesus  to  take 
heed  to  the  flock  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  had 
made  them  overseers.  The  province  of  the  Church 


9 


in  the  premises  is  to  authenticate  and  certify  this 
divine  vocation. 

The  call  to  the  ministry  is  not  made  by  any  audible 
voice  from  heaven,  nor  by  any  blind  impulses.  It 
consists  first,  in  the  gift  of  the  requisite  qualifica¬ 
tions  for  the  office  ;  second,  in  an  earnest  desire  for 
it,  springing  from  right  motives  ;  third,  the  purpose 
to  consecrate  the  whole  life  to  the  work. 

The  qualifications  for  the  office  are  of  three 
kinds;  first  natural,  the  ability  to  learn  and  the 
ability  to  teach  orally  ;  second,  acquired,  viz.,  know¬ 
ledge  and  the  art  of  effective  public  speaking  ;  third, 
supernatural  or  gracious  ;  a  firm  faith  in  the  Bible 
as  the  word  of  God  ;  a  faith  founded  on  the  demon¬ 
stration  of  the  Spirit,  which  works  by  love,  purifies 
the  heart,  and  overcomes  the  world;  supreme  love  for 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  zeal  for  his  glory,  for  the 
advancement  of  his  kingdom,  and  for  the  salvation 
of  men. 

The  possession  of  these  qualifications  is  essen¬ 
tial,  as  without  them  there  can  be  neither  any  fitness 
for  the  office,  nor  any  divine  warrant  for  its  assump¬ 
tion.  The  natural  qualifications  are  taken  for 
granted.  As  God  does  not  call  the  blind  to  see  or 
the  dumb  to  speak,  so  neither  does  He  call  any  man 
to  the  office  of  teacher  who  has  not  the  ability  to 
acquire  and  to  impart  knowledge.  The  cultivation 


IO 


of  the  gracious  gifts  above  mentioned,  must,  from 
the  nature  of  the  case,  be  left  in  great  measure  to 
the  candidate  himself.  It  is  a  matter  between  his 
own  soul  and  God.  He  should,  however,  lay  to 
heart  that  his  happiness  and  usefulness  in  the  minis¬ 
try  will  depend  on  the  measure  of  his  faith,  love,  and 
zeal.  It  should  therefore,  be  his  fixed  purpose  con¬ 
stantly  to  grow  in  grace. 

It  is  the  acquired  qualifications,  viz.  knowledge, 
and  the  art  of  effective  public  speaking,  which  in  an 
institution  like  this  specially  demands  attention. 

As  the  preacher  is  a  teacher,  he  must  of  course 
have  the  knowledge  which  he  is  required  to  com¬ 
municate  ;  and  as  he  is  a  teacher  of  the  Bible,  the 
Bible  must  be  the  great  a*id  constant  subject  of  his 
studies.  First,  he  must  know  the  languages  in  which 
the  Bible  is  written.  How  can  a  man  be  qualified 
to  proclaim  a  message  unless  he  understands  the 
lanomaee  jn  which  that  message  is  delivered  ?  He 
should  not  be  obliged  to  depend  on  bystanders  to  tell 
him  what  that  message  means.  Secondly,  he  must 
know  the  principles  on  which  the  Scriptures  are  to 
be  interpreted.  Thirdly,  he  should  know  the  origin, 
contents,  and  design  of  the  several  books  which  con¬ 
stitute  the  sacred  canon,  and  their  relation  to  each 
other.  Fourthly,  he  should  know  the  doctrines 
which  the  Bible  reveals  and  which  men  are  bound 


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I 


to  believe.  And  as  these  doctrines  are  not  dog¬ 
matically  stated  in  a  few  sentences,  but  one  element 
here  and  another  element  there  throughout  the 
Scriptures,  to  learn  what  the  Bible  teaches  on  any 
subject,  requires  great  labor,  patience  and  fidelity. 
It  took  the  Church  six  hundred  years  before  it  could 
frame  a  satisfactory  statement  of  the  doctrines  of 
the  Trinity  and  of  the  Person  of  Christ.  How  long 
will  it  take  geologists  to  learn  the  contents  of  the 
strata  of  the  earth  ?  Fifthly,  as  the  Bible  is  not  only 
a  rule  of  faith  but  also  of  the  duties  of  men  as  indi¬ 
viduals  and  as  members  of  society,  the  whole  field  of 
moral  and  social  science  lies  before  the  candidate 
for  the  ministry. 

Besides  all  this,  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  the 
minister  must  not  only  teach  the  faith  but  defend  it. 
He  must  be  able  to  resist  gainsayers  ;  and  as  the  as¬ 
saults  against  the  Bible  come  from  the  three  depart¬ 
ments  of  philosophy,  historical  criticism,  and  science, 
the  whole  realm  of  human  knowledge  demands  the 
attention  of  those  who  are  set  for  the  defense  of  the 
gospel.  The  more  of  this  illimitable  field  that  is 
mastered  by  any  man,  the  better  will  he  be  fitted, 
other  things  being  equal,  to  be  an  able  minister  of 
the  New  Testament,  rightly  dividing  the  word  of 
God.  There  are  some  men  who  seek  the  ministerial 
office  who  regard  it  as  a  small  matter,  requiring  no 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  0C  H  I  wot* 


laborious  preparation.  Such  men  have  reason  to 
doubt  whether  they  are  really  called  to  the  work. 
If  God  calls  any  man  to  an  office,  it  is  reasonable  to 
assume  that  He  will  give  him  some  due  sense  of  its 
importance,  and  the  purpose  to  make  the  best  possi¬ 
ble  preparation  for  its  duties. 

The  second  of  the  acquired  qualifications  for  the 
ministry,  is  the  art  of  effective  public  speaking. 
This  includes  correct  pronunciation,  distinct  articu¬ 
lation,  and  the  proper  modulation  of  the  voice. 
This  a  matter  of  great  importance,  as  the  difference 
between  a  good  and  bad  public  speaker  is  not  merely 
the  difference  between  the  agreeable  and  the  dis¬ 
agreeable,  but  between  power  and  weakness.  It  is 
not  given  to  every  man  to  be  a  great  orator,  but  any 
man  can,  by  due  culture,  make  himself  an  agreeable 
and  effective  speaker. 

The  question  here  arises,  How  can  the  know¬ 
ledge  and  culture  requisite  for  the  sacred  office  be 
best  attained  ?  in  other  words,  What  is  the  best 
method  of  theological  education  ?  There  .are  only 
two  methods,  private  and  public — under  an 
approved  pastor  or  in  a  public  institution.  Each 
doubtless  has  its  advantages.  The  Church  has 
decided  for  the  latter.  It  is  reasonable  to  assume 
that  the  candidate  will  learn  more  from  four  or  six 
instructors  devoted  to  the  work  of  teaching,  than 


13 


from  one  man  whose  attention  must  be  principally 
given  to  other  duties.  In  all  f>arts  of  the  world 
young  men  have  been  gathered  into  colleges  and 
universities  with  their  several  faculties  of  law,  med¬ 
icine,  and  theology,  so  that  we  have  the  testimony 
of  almost  universal  experience  in  favor  of  public  edu¬ 
cation.  With  us  this  is  not  an  open  question.  If  Pres¬ 
byterians  should  refuse  to  establish  Theological 
Seminaries,  their  young  men  would  resort  to  such 
institutions  under  the  control  of  other  denomina¬ 
tions. 

Influenced  by  these  and  other  considerations,  the 
General  Assembly  of  our  Church,  in  the  year  1812, 
founded  this  Seminary  ;  and  God  has  smiled  upon 
the  enterprise. 

The  first  signal  manifestations  of  the  divine  favor 
to  this  Institution  was  the  selection  of  Dr.  Archibald 
Alexander  and  Dr.  Samuel  Miller  as  its  first  profes¬ 
sors,  and  their  being  spared  for  nearly  forty  years 
to  devote  themselves  to  its  service.  It  is  admitted 
that  the  most  important  part  of  a  man’s  life  is  the 
formative  period  of  youth.  The  same  is  true  of 
communities  and  institutions.  If  a  college  be 
dependent  on  the  State,  its  character  may  vary  with 
the  change  of  parties  in  the  State  ;  but  if  it  be 
independent,  it  bids  fair  to  retain  its  original  char¬ 
acter  from  generation  to  generation.  If  a  father 


H 


commit  his  child  to  incompetent  and  wicked  tutors 
and  governors,  the  fate  of  the  child  is  sealed  ;  but  if 
it  be  confided  to  faithful  guardians,  as  a  rule,  it  will 
grow  up  to  be  an  ornament  and  a  blessing.  The 
favor  of  God  to  this  infant  Seminary,  was  manifested 
in  its  being  intrusted  to  the  hands  of  men  pre¬ 
eminently  qualified  for  the  sacred  trust. 

They  were  in  the  first  place  eminently  holy  men. 
They  exerted  that  indescribable  but  powerful  influ¬ 
ence  which  always  emanates  from  those  who  live 
near  to  God.  Their  piety  was  uniform  and  serene  ; 
without  any  taint  of  enthusiasm  or  fanaticism. 
It  was  also  Biblical.  Christ  was  as  prominent  in 
their  religious  experience,  in  their  preaching,  and 
in  their  writings,  as  He  is  in  the  Bible.  Christ’s 
person,  his  glory,  his  righteousness,  his  love,  his 
presence,  his  power,  filled  the  whole  sphere  of  their 
religious  life.  When  men  enter  a  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  they  see  before  them  a  wooden  image  of 
Christ  extended  upon  a  cross.  To  this  lifeless  image 
they  bow.  When  students  entered  this  Seminary, 
when  its  first  professors  were  alive,  they  had  held 
up  before  them  the  image  of  Christ,  not  graven  by 
art  or  man’s  device,  but  as  portrayed  by  the  Spirit 
on  the  pages  of  God’s  word  ;  and  it  is  by  beholding 
that  image  that  men  are  transformed  into  its  likeness 
from  glory  to  glory.  It  is,  in  large  measure,  to  this 


*5 


constant  holding  up  of  Christ,  in  the  glory  of  his 
person  and  the  all-sufficiency  of  his  work,  that  the 
hallowed  influence  of  the  fathers  of  this  Seminary 
is  to  be  attributed. 

It  often  happens,  however,  that  men  are  very 
pious  without  being  very  good.  Their  religion 
expends  itself  in  devotional  feelings  and  services, 
while  the  evil  passions  of  their  nature  remain 
unsubdued.  It  was  not  so  with  our  fathers.  They 
were  as  good  as  they  were  pious.  I  was  intimately 
associated  with  them,  as  pupil  and  colleague,  between 
thirty  and  forty  years.  In  all  that  time  I  never  saw 
in  either  of  them  any  indication  of  vanity,  of  pride, 
of  malice,  of  envy,  of  jealousy,  of  insincerity,  of 
uncharitableness,  or  of  disingenuousness.  I  know 
that  what  I  say  is  incredible.  Nevertheless  it  is 
true.  And  it  is  my  right  and  my  duty  to  scatter 
these  withered  flowers  upon  their  graves.  Most 
men  have  reason  to  rejoice  that  their  bosoms  are 
opaque,  but  these  holy  men,  as  it  always  seemed  to 
me,  might  let  the  sun  shine  through  them. 

Another  characteristic  of  the  men  of  whom  I 
speak  was  their  firm  and  simple  faith  in  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  and  in  the  system  of  doctrine  contained  in  the 
standards  of  our  Church.  Their  faith  was  founded 
on  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  therefore 
could  not  be  shaken.  No  Sunday  School  scholar, 


no  mother  in  Israel,  could  be  more  entirely  submis¬ 
sive  to  the  teachings  of  the  Scriptures  than  were 
these  venerable  men.  There  was  something 
sublime  and  beautiful  in  the  humility  of  old  doctor 
Alexander  when  he  found  himself  at  the  feet  of 
Jesus.  There  was  no  questioning  of  the  reason,  no 
opposition  of  the  heart.  The  words  of  Scripture 
were  received -as  the  revelation  of  what  is  true  and 
right  from  the  highest  source  of  truth  and  goodness. 
No  one  can  estimate  the  influence  of  this  trait  of  the 
character  of  our  first  professors  operating  through 
forty  years  on  successive  generations  of  their  pupils. 

There  are  theologians,  however,  who,  although 
firm  believers  in  the  authority  of  the  Bible,  have  such 
a  high  idea  of  the  dignity  of  man  and  of  the  pre¬ 
rogatives  of  the  understanding,  that  they  constantly 
exhort  men  to  think  for  themselves  and  to  receive 
nothing,  on  authority.  This  is  all  very  well  so  far 
as  the  authority  of  man  is  concerned.  It  is  to  be 
remembered,  however,  that  the  portal  to  the  temple 
of  divine  truth  is  very  low,  and  that  the  high-headed 
find  it  very  difficult  to  enter.  Our  Lord  says  a  man 
must  be  converted  and  become  as  a  little  child  in 
order  to  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  And  the 
Apostle  sayS  a  man  must  become  a  fool  in  order  to 
attain  the  wisdom  which  comes  from  God.  As  God 
does  not  often  convert  those  who  think  they  can  con- 


*7 


vert  themselves,  so  he  rarely  teaches  those  who  think 
they  can  teach  themselves. 

Again,  there  are  men  who  tire  of  what  is  old  ; 
they  crave  novelty,  and  aspire  after  originality.  They 
advocate  progress  and  development.  What  suited 
the  sixteenth  century,  they  say  cannot  suit  the  nine¬ 
teenth.  They  tell  us  that  we  might  as  well  insist  on 
retaining  the  dress  of  the  Reformers  as  their  theology. 
We  must  have  clothes  as  well  as  they,  but  the  fash¬ 
ion  must  be  altered  ;  so  we  may  retain  the  substance 
of  their  doctrines,  but  the  whole  spirit,  aspect,  and 
mode  of  presentation  must  be  changed.  There  is  some 
truth  in  this.  We  must,  however,  remember  that 
God  cannot  change  ;  and  that  the  form  of  a  thing  is 
the  thing  itself.  If  you  change  the  form  of  a  statue, 
what  becomes  of  the  statue  ?  If  you  reject  the  form 
of  a  doctrine,  you  thereby  reject  the  doctrine.  The 
Bible  sets  forth  Christ  under  the  form  of  a  priest ; 
to  deny  his  priesthood  is  to  reject  his  salvation. 

Other  theologians,  again,  have  a  philosophical  dis¬ 
position.  All  doctrines  must  be  put  into  an  alembic 
and  distilled  ;  and  then  they  are  received  not  as  mat¬ 
ters  of  revelation  but  of  demonstration — not  as  mat¬ 
ters  of  faith,  but  of  knowledge. 

It  pleased  God  that  the  first  professors  in  this 
Seminary  should  belong  to  neither  of  these  classes. 
They  exhorted  their  students  to  be  humble  rather 


than  high  minded.  They  had  no  fondness  for  new 
doctrines,  or  for  new  ways  of  presenting  old  ones  ; 
and  they  dreaded  the  thought  of  transferring  the 
ground  of  faith  from  die  rock  of  God’s  word  to 
metaphysical  quicksands.  For  this  reason  Princeton 
Theological  Seminary  was  regarded  by  the  illuminati 
in  every  part  of  the  land  as  very  umbrageous,  impene¬ 
trable  to  any  ray  of  new  light.  This  did  not  move 
the  men  of  whom  we  speak.  They  had  heard  Christ 
say  of  certain  men  that  the  light  that  is  in  them  is 
darkness.  And  knowing  that  man  is  blind  as  to  the 
things  of  God,  they  thought  it  safer  to  submit  to  be 
guided  by  a  divine  hand,  rather  than,  with  darkness 
within  and  darkness  without,  to  stumble  on  they 
knew  not  whither. 

As  to  the  method  of  instruction  adopted  by  our 
first  professors  little  need  be  said.  They  both  used 
text-books  where  they  could  be  had.  Dr.  Alexan¬ 
der’s  text-book  in  theology  was  Turrettin’s  Theologia 
Elenchtica,  one  of  the  most  perspicuous  books  ever 
written.  In  the  discussion  of  every  subject  it  begins 
with  the  Status  Qucestionis ,  stating  that  the  question 
is  not  this  or  that ;  neither  this  nor  that,  until  every 
foreign  element  is  eliminated,  and  then  the  precise 
point  in  hand  is  laid  down  with  unmistakable  pre¬ 
cision.  Then  follow  in  distinct  paragraphs,  num¬ 
bered  one,  two,  three,  and  so  on,  the  arguments 


9 


in  its  support.  Then  come  the  Fontes  Solutionum, 
or  answers  to  objections.  The  first  objection  is 
stated  with  the  answer  ;  then  the  second,  and  so  on 
to  the  end.  Dr.  Alexander  was  accustomed  to  give 
us  from  twenty  to  forty  quarto  pages,  in  Latin,  to 
read  fora  recitation.  And  we  did  read  them.  When 
we  came  to  recite,  the  professor  would  place  the  book 
before  him  and  ask,  What  is  the  State  of  Question? 
What  is  the  first  argument?  What  is  the  second, 
&c.?  Then  what  is  the  first  objection  and  its  answer? 
What  the  second,  &c.?  There  were  some  of  my 
classmates,  Dr.  Johns  the  present  bishop  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  in  Virginia,  for  example,  who  would 
day  after  day  be  able  to  give  the  State  of  the  Ques¬ 
tion,  all  the  arguments  in  its  support  in  their  order, 
all  the  objections  and  the  answers  to  them,  through 
the  whole  thirty  or  forty  pages,  without  the  professor 
saying  a  word  to  him.  This  is  what  in  the  College 
of  New  Jersey  used  to  be  called  rowling.  What¬ 
ever  may  be  thought  of  this  method  of  instruction, 
it  was  certainly  effective.  A  man  who  had  passed 
through  that  drill  never  got  over  it.  Some  years  ago 
I  heard  the  late  Bishop  Mcllvaine  preach  a  very 
orthodox  sermon  in  the  Episcopal  Church  in  this 
place.  When  we  got  home,  it  being  a  very  warm 
day,  he  threw  himself  on  the  bed  to  rest.  In  the  course 
of  conversation  he  happened  to  remark  that  a  cer- 


20 


tain  professor  failed  to  make  any  marks  on  the  minds 
of  his  students.  I  said  to  him,  “  Old  Turrettin,  it 
seems,  has  left  his  mark  on  your  mind/’  He  sprang 
from  the  bed,  exclaiming,  “  That  indeed  he  has,  and 
I  would  give  any  thing  to  see  his  theology  translated 
and  made  the  text-book  in  all  our  Seminaries.”  The 
Jesuits  are  wise  in  their  generation,  and  they  have 
adopted  this  method  of  instruction  in  their  institu¬ 
tions. 

Dr.  Alexander,  however,  did  not  confine  himself 
to  his  text-book.  He  lectured  from  time  to  time 
on  those  doctrines  which  were  exciting  general 
attention.  These  lectures  from  year  to  year  became 
more  numerous,  until  they  constituted  an  important 
part  of  his  course.  He  was  accustomed  also  to  give 
out  lists  of  theological  questions,  which  the  students 
were  expected  to  answer  in  writing.  On  the  depart¬ 
ments  of  mental  and  moral  philosophy,  polemic  and 
pastoral  theology,  his  instructions  were  by  lectures, 
so  that  his  mind  was  constantly  brought  into  contact 
with  those  of  his  students.  His  lectures  on  Pastoral 
Theology  were  devotional  exercises,  which  we 
attended  as  we  would  attend  church. 

Dr.  Miller  also  had  a  text-book  on  Ecclesiastical 
History  which  he  supplemented  and  corrected  by  a 
running  commentary  at  each  recitation.  He  too 
gave  out  lists  of  questions  covering  the  whole  course 


of  biblical  and  church  history.  His  instructions  on 
Church  Government  and  Discipline,  and  on  the 
Composition  and  Delivery  of  Sermons,  were  by  lec¬ 
tures.  These  venerable  men  were  remarkably 
punctual  and  faithful  in  attending  on  all  their  official 
duties. 

Their  influence  on  the  students  was  after  all 
mainly  religious,  arising  from  the  doctrines  which  they 
taught,  the  character  which  they  exhibited,  and  the  prin¬ 
ciples  which  they  inculcated.  To  this  must  be  added  the 
power  of  calling  the  religious  feelings  into  exercise 
which  Dr.  Alexander  possessed  beyond  any  man 
whom  I  have  ever  known.  He  had  the  gift  of 
searching  the  heart ;  of  probing  the  conscience  ;  of 
revealing  a  man  to  himself ;  of  telling  him  his 
thoughts,  feeling,  doubts  and  conflicts.  As  with  a 
lighted  torch  he  would  lead  a  man  through  the 
labyrinth  of  his  heart,  into  places  which  his  intelligent 
consciousness  had  never  entered.  He  would  thus  t 
humble  him,  instruct  him,  comfort  or  strengthen 
him.  He  could  melt  his  hearers  to  penitence,  make 
their  hearts  burn  within  them,  inspire  them  with  zeal, 
and  give  them  a  foretaste  of  the  joy  that  is  unspeak¬ 
able.  This  power  he  exerted  not  only  in  the  pulpit, 
but  in  our  Sabbath  afternoon  conferences,  and  in  his 
addresses  to  the  students  at  evening  prayers.  There 
are  three  of  his  sermons  which  I  specially  remember  ; 


22 


one  on  Abraham’s  offering  up  Isaac  ;  one  on  the 
transfiguration  of  Christ;  and  one  on  our  Lord’s  pas¬ 
sion.  The  only  way  in  which  I  can  give  an  idea  of 
the  impression  produced  by  these  discourses,  is  by 
saying  that  his  hearers  felt,  in  a  measure,  as  they 
would  have  done  had  they  been  present  at  the  scenes 
described.  W e  left  this  Chapel  after  his  sermon  on  the 
transfiguration,  feeling  that  we  had  seen  the  Lord  in 
his  glory,  at  least  as  through  a  glass  darkly.  His 
sermon  on  the  passion  of  Christ  was  delivered  in  the 
Church  on  a  communion  Sunday.  The  impression 
which  it  made  was  profound.  The  students  became 
clamorous  ;  they  would  take  no  denial  of  their 
request  for  its  possession.  I  do  not  think  that  it 
was  printed  ;  but  the  manuscript  came  into  our 
hands  ;  and  when  I  read  it,  there  was  nothing  there, 
but  what  is  in  the  Gospels.  So  that  the  mystery  of 
its  power  remained  unsolved. 

There  was  another  peculiarity  in  Dr.  Alexander’s 
preaching.  He  would  sometimes  pause  and  give 
utterance  to  a  thought  which  had  no  connection  with 
his  subject,  and  then  resume  the  thread  of  his  dis¬ 
course.  He  seemed  to  think  that  these  thoughts 
were  given  to  him  for  a  purpose,  and  he  sent  them 
forth  as  arrows  shot  at  a  venture.  When  a  boy  I 
attended  a  service  which  he  conducted  in  the  old 
school  house,  which  stood  on  the  ground  now  occu- 


2  3 


pied  by  the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  I  sat  in  the 
back  part  of  the  room,  on  a  shelf  with  my  feet  dang¬ 
ling  half-way  to  the  floor.  The  Doctor  suddenly 
paused  in  his  address,  and  stretching  out  his  arm  to 
attract  attention,  deliberately  uttered  this  sentence, 
“I  don’t  believe  a  praying  soul  ever  enters  hell.”  That 
bolt,  I  suspect,  pierced  more  hearts  than  one.  It  may 
well  be  believed  that  more  than  one  poor  sinner  in 
that  little  assembly,  said  to  himself,  “  If  that  be  so, 
I  will  keep  on  praying,  while  I  keep  on  breathing.” 

We  all  know  that  the  man  who  is  instrumental 
in  bringing  us  near  to  God,  who  enables  us  to  see 
the  glory  of  Christ,  who  stirs  up  our  hearts  to  peni¬ 
tence  and  love,  becomes  sacred  in  our  eyes,  and  that 
the  place  in  which  we  have  enjoyed  these  experi¬ 
ences  can  never  be  forgotten.  Hence  the  feeling 
which  our  old  alumni  cherish  for  this  Seminary,  is 
not  pride,  but  a  tender,  sacred,  love,  as  for  the  place 
in  which  they  passed  some  of  the  holiest,  happiest, 
and  most  profitable  hours  of  their  lives. 

Owing  to  the  peculiar  power  of  Dr.  Alexander 
over  the  feelings,  the  students  were  more  demon¬ 
strative  of  their  regard  for  him  than  for  Dr.  Miller. 
But  in  their  heart  of  hearts,  in  the  place  where  rev¬ 
erence  dwells,  in  the  inner  temple  of  the  soul,  neither 
of  these  holy  men  stood  higher  than  the  other. 


24 


Dr.  Addison  Alexander  was  appointed  teacher 
of  Hebrew  in  this  Seminary  in  1833.  In  1836  he 
was  elected  professor  of  Biblical  and  Oriental  Liter¬ 
ature.  He  did  not  consent,  however,  to  be  inaugu¬ 
rated  until  two  years  later,  although  he  discharged 
the  duties  of  the  chair  to  which  he  had  been  appointed. 
He  continued  connected  with  the  Seminary  as  one 
of  its  professors  until  his  death,  February  i860. 

I  believe  that  I  was  rash  enough  to  say  on  the 
floor  of  the  General  Assembly  of  i860,  that  I  thought 
Dr.  Addison  Alexander  the  greatest  man  whom  I 
had  ever  seen.  This  was  unwise  ;  both  because 
there  are  so  many  different  kinds  of  greatness  ;  and 
because  I  was  no  competent  judge.  I  feel  free  to 
say  now,  however,  that  I  never  saw  a  man  who  so 
constantly  impressed  me  with  a  sense  of  his  mental 
superiority — with  his  power  to  acquire  knowledge 
and  his  power  to  communicate  it.  He  seemed  able 
to  learn  anything  and  to  teach  anything  he  pleased; 
And  whatever  he  did,  was  done  with  such  apparent 
ease  as  to  make  the  impression  that  there  was  in 
him  a  reserve  of  strength,  which  was  never  called 
into  exercise.  The  rapidity  with  which  he  accom¬ 
plished  his  work  was  marvellous.  The  second  vol¬ 
ume  of  his  Commentary  on  Isaiah,  a  closely  printed 
octavo  volume  of  five  hundred  pages,  with  all  its 
erudition,  was  written,  as  I  understand,  during  one 


25 


summer  vacation,  which  he  passed  in  the  city  of 
New  York.  Few  literary  achievements  can  be  com¬ 
pared  to  that. 

He  had  two  marked  peculiarities.  One  was  that 
although  he  had  apparently  the  power  to  master  any 
subject,  he  could  not  do  what  he  did  not  like.  Being 
in  his  youth  very  precocious  and  very  much  devoted 
to  intellectual  pursuits,  he  needed  neither  excitement 
nor  guidance.  He  was,  therefore,  allowed  to  pass 
from  one  subject  to  another  at  pleasure.  A  habit  of 
mind  was  thus  induced  which  rendered  it  almost 
impossible  for  him  to  fix  his  attention  on  subjects 
which  were  disagreeable  to  him.  There  were  con¬ 
sequently  some  departments  of  knowledge  of  which 
he  was  purposely  ignorant.  This  was  true  of  psy¬ 
chology,  or  mental  philosophy.  I  never  knew  him 
to  read  a  book  on  that  subject.  He  never  would 
converse  about  it.  If,  when  reading  a  book  he  came 
across  any  philosophical  discussion,  he  would  turn 
over  the  leaves  until  he  found  more  congenial  mat¬ 
ter.  When  Dr.  Schaff’s  work  on  The  Apostolic  Age 
came  out,  he  was  greatly  delighted  with  it.  The 
theory  of  historical  development  which  it  broached, 
he  took  no  notice  of.  He  did  not  even  know  it  was 
there.  When,  therefore,  he  reviewed  the  book,  he 
never  adverted  to  one  of  its  most  marked  character¬ 
istics.  The  same  thing  was  true,  in  good  measure, 


26 


of  natural  science,  to  which  he  devoted  very  little 
attention.  It  was  specially  true  of  physiology  and 
hygiene.  It  would  be  hard  to  find  an  educated  man 
more  profoundly  ignorant  of  the  structure  of  the 
human  body  or  of  the  functions  of  its  organs.  Hence 
he  was  constantly  violating  the  laws  of  health.  He 
was  a  whole  year  seriously  ill  without  knowing  it ; 
and  only  two  or  three  days  before  his  death,  he  said 
to  me,  “  Don’t  look  so  sad,  I’m  as  well  as  you  are.” 

The  other  peculiarity  referred  to  was  his  impa¬ 
tience  of  routine.  He  could  not  bear  to  go  over  and 
over  the  same  ground,  or  to  attend  long  to  any  one 
subject.  Hence  he  was  constantly  changing  his  sub¬ 
jects  of  study  and  methods  of  instruction.  He  would 
begin  to  write  a  book,  get  it  half  done,  and  then 
throw  it  aside.  Or,  he  would  begin  to  write  on  one 
plan,  and  then  change  it  for  another.  He  occupied 
three  different  chairs  in  this  Seminary.  He  first 
had  the  Old  Testament  department;  then  Eccle¬ 
siastical  History  ;  .then  The  Language  and  Litera¬ 
ture  of  the  New  Testament.  The  friends  of  the 
Seminary  cared  little  what  he  did,  for  whatever  he 
undertook,  he  was  sure  to  do  so  grandly  that 
every  one  would  be  more  than  satisfied.  As  he 
advanced  in  life  these  peculiarities  became  less  appar¬ 
ent.  He  was  constantly  getting  his  powers  more 
under  his  own  control.  At  the  time  of  his  death  we 


27 


flattered  ourselves  that  he  had  before  him  twenty  or 
thirty  years  for  steady  work.  Then  suddenly  our 
great  treasure  ship  went  down — disappearing  under 
the  waves — a  dead  loss — leaving  us,  as  we  then  felt, 
utterly  bankrupt. 

The  departments  in  which  he  took  the  most 
interest  were  languages,  literature,  history,  and  above 
all,  the  Bible.  His  earliest  reputation  was  as  a  lin¬ 
guist.  It  was  known  that  he  had  without  any  instruc¬ 
tion  made  himself  so  familiar  with  the  Arabic 
that  he  had  read  the  Koran  through  before  he  was 
fourteen.  In  the  same  way  he  learned  Persic,  and 
while  but  a  lad  delighted  in  reading  the  Persian 
poets.  He  then  learned  Hebrew,  Chaldee  and  Syriac. 
He  kept  up  his  familiarity  with  the  Greek  and  Latin 
classics  through  life.  He  read  all  the  modern  lan¬ 
guages  of  Europe,  unless  the  Sclavonic  dialects  be 
excepted.  His  object  in  these  studies  was  not  simply 
the  vocabulary  and  grammar  of  these  languages,  but 
their  mutual  relations,  and  specially  the  literary  trea¬ 
sures  which  they  contained.  He  was  specially 
master  of  his  own  tongue.  He  had  read  all  the 
leading  English  authors  of  every  age.  His  style 
was  a  model  of  precision,  perspicuity,  felicity  of 
expression,  purity  and  force.  His  command  of  lan¬ 
guage  did  not  seem  to  have  any  limit.  He  could 
speak  in  correct  and  polished  English  as  easily  as  he 


28 


could  breathe.  Extemporary  speaking  is  an  every 
day  matter.  But  I  have  known  Dr.  Addison  to  come 
into  this  chapel,  without  having  committed  or  written 
his  sermon,  and  read  it  off  from  blank  paper  from 
beginning  to  end  without  hesitation  or  correction. 
He  was  constantly  doing  such  things,  which  made 
those  around  him  think  he  could  do  whatever  he 
pleased. 

As  to  his  qualifications  as  a  theological  professor, 
the  first  in  importance  was  his  sincere  and  humble 
piety.  Religion,  however,  even  when  genuine, 
assumes  different  forms  in  different  persons.  Some 
men  it  impels  to  live  before  the  public  as  well  as  for 
the  public.  In  others  it  leads  rather  to  self-culture 
and  intercourse  with  God.  Dr.  Addison’s  life  was 
in  a  great  measure  hidden.  He  never  appeared  in 
church-courts  or  in  religious  conventions.  But 
although  he  lived  very  much  by  himself,  he  did  not 
live  for  himself.  All  his  powers  were  devoted  to  the 
service  of  Christ,  as  writer,  teacher,  and  minister  of 
the  gospel.  His  temper  was  naturally  irritable  ; 
but  if  it  ever  got  the  better  of  him  in  the  class-room, 
the  next  prayer  he  offered  in  the  oratory  was  sure 
to  manifest  how  sincerely  he  repented.  The  stu¬ 
dents,  on  leaving  the  prayer-room,  would  sometimes 
ask  each  other,  What  has  Dr.  Addison  been  doing 
for  which  he  is  so  sorry  ? 


29 


The  second  great  qualification  for  his  office  was 
his  firm  faith  in  the  Bible  and  his  reverence  for  it  as 
the  word  of  God.  He  believed  in  it  just  as  he 
believed  in  the  solar  system.  He  could  not  help 
believing.  He  saw  so  clearly  its  grandeur  as  a 
whole,'  and  the  harmonious  relation  of  its  several 
parts,  that  he  could  no  more  believe  the  Bible  to  be 
a  human  production  than  he  could  believe  that  man 
made  the  planets.  He  never  seemed  to  have  any 
doubts  .or  difficulty  on  the  subject.  Although  per¬ 
fectly  familiar  with  the  writings  of  the  German 
rationalists  and  sceptics  from  Ernesti  to  Baur  and 
Strauss,  they  affected  him  no  more  than  the  eagle  is 
affected  by  the  dew  on  his  plumage  as  he  soars  near 
the  sun.  The  man  who  studies  the  Bible  as  he 
studied  it,  in  the  organic  relation  of  its  several 
parts,  comes  to  see  that  it  can  no  more  be  a  collec¬ 
tion  of  the  independent  writings  of  uninspired  men, 
than  the  human  body  is  a  hap-hazard  combination  of 
limbs  and  organs.  It  was  in  this  light  that  he  pre¬ 
sented  it  to  his  students,  who  were  accustomed  to 
say  that  he  glorified  the  Bible  to  them,  that  is — 
he  enabled  them  to  see  its  glory,  and  thus  confirmed 
their  faith  and  increased  their  reverence. 

Another  of  his  distinguishing  gifts  as  a  professor 
was  his  ability  as  a  teacher.  The  clearness,  rapidity, 
and  force  with  which  he  communicated  his  ideas 


30 


aroused  and  sustained  attention  ;  and  the  precision 
and  variety  of  his  questions,  in  the  subsequent  cate¬ 
chetical  exercise  on  the  subject  of  the  lecture,  drew 
out  from  the  student  every  thing  he  knew,  and  made 
him  understand  himself  and  the  matter  in  hand. 
Students  from  all  the  classes,  often  crowded  his 
lecture  room,  which  they  left  drawing  a  long  breath 
as  a  relief  from  overstrained  attention,  but  with  their 
minds  expanded  and  invigorated. 

As  a  preacher  his  sermons  were  always  instruc¬ 
tive  and  often  magnificent.  He  would  draw  from  a 
passage  of  Scripture  more  than  you  ever  imagined 
it  contained  ;  show  how  many  rays  concentrated  at 
that  point ;  and  how  the  truth  there  presented  was 
related  to  the  other  great  truths  of  the  Bible.  This 
was  not  so  much  an  exhibition  of  the  philosophical 
or  logical  relation  of  the  doctrine  in  hand  with  other 
doctrines,  as  showing  the  place  which  the  truth  or 
fact  in  hand  held  in  the  great  scheme  of  scripture 
revelation.  Thus  in  his"  sermon  on  the  words  of 
Paul  to  the  Jews  at  Rome,  “  Be  it  known  unto  you, 
that  the  gospel  of  God  is  sent  unto  the  Gentiles,  and 
they  will  hear  it he  showed  that  every  thing  Moses 
and  the  Prophets  had  taught,  culminated  in  the 
proclamation  of  the  religion  of  the  Bible  as  the 
religion  of  the  world.  At  times  he  gave  his  imagi¬ 
nation  full  play ;  and  then  he  would  rise  in  spiral 


31 


curves,  higher  and  higher,  till  lost  to  sight ;  leaving 
his  hearers  gazing  up  into  heaven,  of  which  they 
felt  they  then  saw  more  than  they  had  ever  seen 
before.  These  three  men,  Dr.  Archibald  Alexander, 
Dr.  Samuel  Miller,  and  Dr.  Addison  Alexander  are 
our  galaxy.  They  are  like  the  three  stars  in  the 
belt  of  Orion,  still  shining  upon  us  from  on  high. 
Their  lustre  can  now  never  be  dimmed  by  the  exha¬ 
lations  of  the  earth. 

I  have  not  forgotten  two  others  of  our  professors, 
now  we  doubt  not  in  heaven,  Dr.  John  Breckinridge 
and  Dr.  James  W.  Alexander.  These  men,  how¬ 
ever,  were  never  given  to  the  Seminary  ;  they  were 
only  lent  to  it  for  a  short  time.  Dr.  Breckinridge 
was  elected  in  1836  and  resigned  in  1838  ;  Dr. 
James  Alexander  was  elected  in  1849  anc^  resigned 
in  1851.  God  had  fitted  and  designed  them  for  other 
fields  of  action.  They  were  both  eminent,  each  in 
his  own  way ;  but  we  cannot  claim  them  specially  as 
our  own.  Dr.  Breckinridge  was  one  of  the  leaders 
of  the  Church  in  its  conflicts.  Dr.  Alexander  was 
a  man  of  varied  scholarship  and  accomplishments. 
The  former  was  proud  of  calling  himself  a  Kentuck¬ 
ian.  His  State,  however,  had  as  much  reason  to  be 
proud  of  him,  as  he  had  of  his  State.  He  was  tall, 
handsome,  spirited,  and  courteous.  He  made  a 
friend  of  almost  every  man  he  met.  Being  a  natural 


32 


orator,  his  appropriate  place  was  the  pulpit  and  the 
platform.  Dr.  James  Alexander,  as  you  all  know, 
was  one  of  the  most  eminent  and  useful  preachers 
of  his  day. 

The  second  signal  manifestation  of  God’s  favor 
to  this  institution  is  to  be  seen  in  the  munificent 
patrons  which  he  has  raised  up  for  its  support.  Mr. 
James  Lenox,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  our 
library  building  and  the  extensive  grounds  on  which 
it  is  erected ;  for  one  of  our  professor’s  houses,  and 
for  liberal  contributions  to  our  general  funds. 
Messrs.  Robert  L.  and  Alexander  Stuart,  who  have 
contributed  sixty  thousand  dollars  to  our  scholarship, 
library,  and  miscellaneous  funds,  a  professor’s  house, 
and  who  have  recently  purchased  land  for  the  erec¬ 
tion  of  a  handsome  building  for  our  recitation-rooms. 
Mrs.  George  Brown  of  Baltimore,  to  whom  we  are 
indebted  for  Brown  Hall ;  Mr.  Levi  P.  Stone,  who 
founded  the  Stone  Lectureship  ;  Mr.  John  C.  Green, 
who  endowed  the  Helena  Professorship  of  Ecclesiasti¬ 
cal  History,  purchased  a  house  for  a  professor,  con¬ 
tributed  generously  to  our  permanent  funds,  and  at 
whose  expense  this  Chapel  has  been  transformed 
from  what  it  was  to  what  it  is ;  so  that  we  can  never 
enter  this  room  without  being  reminded  of  his  kind¬ 


ness. 


33 


There  is  another  class  of  benefactors,  who  not 
having  gold  or  silver  to  bestow,  gave  their  prayers, 
their  counsels  and  their  disinterested  labors.  Dr. 
Ashbel  Green,  Dr.  John  McDowel,  Dr.  William 
Philips,  head  a  long  list  of  friends  who  should  always 
be  held  in  grateful  remembrance. 

A  mother’s  pride,  however,  is  in  her  children. 
Much  as  she  may  love  and  reverence  her  parents, 
she  turns  her  fondest  gaze  on  those  whom  she  has 
nurtured  at  her  bosom  and  fondled  on  her  knees. 
So  our  Alma  Mater,  while  she  cherishes  with  rever¬ 
ence  the  memory  of  her  fathers,  turns  her  streaming 
eyes  with  gratitude  to  heaven,  and  says,  “  Here, 
Lord,  am  I  and  the  children  whom  thou  hast  given 
me.”  More  than  three  thousand  ministers  of  the 
gospel  have  been  trained  within  these  walls.  With 
rare  exceptions  they  have  been  faithful  men.  They 
have  labored  in  every  part  of  our  own  land  and  in 
almost  every  missionary  field.  This  goodly  company 
of  ministers,  confessors,  and  even  martyrs,  is  God’s 
best  gift  and  our  crown. 

To  the  present  members  of  the  Seminary  I  would 
say,  you  have  assumed  grave  responsibilities  in  com¬ 
ing  to  this  place.  This  is  sacred  ground.  A  sanctu¬ 
ary  is  a  place  to  which  men  come  to  enquire  of  the 
Lord.  For  that  purpose  you  have  come  here.  You 
have  come  to  learn  what  He  would  have  you  teach 


34 


your  fellow  men.  You  should,  therefore,  preserve 
a  spirit  and  deportment  becoming  those  who  are 
preparing  to  be  the  ambassadors  of  God,  and  who 
must  be  instrumental  in  saving  or  destroying  the 
souls  of  men.  If  you  are  really  called  of  God  to  the 
ministry  of  His  Son,  you  are  highly  favoured.  God 
gives  to  men  no  higher  gift  than  the  grace  to  preach 
the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  But  if  you  are 
not  called  of  God,  you  are  greatly  to  be  pitied. 
Your  whole  life,  whatever  it  may  be  in  semblance, 
in  reality,  must  be  a  failure. 

Your  first  duty,  therefore,  is  to  make  your  calling 
andelectionsure.  If  an  honest  scrutiny  of  your  hearts 
satisfies  you  that  you  seek  the  ministry  from  love  to 
Christ,  zeal  for  his  glory,  and  a  desire  to  save  your 
fellow  men  ;  if  you  have  the  fixed  purpose  to  be  dili¬ 
gent  in  your  studies  in  order  to  be  prepared  to 
become  preachers  and  defenders  of  the  faith  ;  and  if 
you  are  determined  to  consecrate  your  lives  to  this 
work  ;  then  you  will  be  humble,  for  those  gifts  of 
God  which  are  graces,  or  fruits  of  his  Spirit,  never 
produce  self-complacency  or  self-exaltation.  Never¬ 
theless,  you  may  rejoice  in  the  assurance  that  you 
are  among  those  who  are  destined  to. shine  as  stars 
in  the  firmament  of  heaven.  It  matters  not  what 
is  before  you;  whether  you  are  cheered  with  visible 
success,  or  whether  you  are  forced  to  join  the  lamen- 


35 


tation  of  the  prophet,  “  Lord,  who  hath  believed  our 
report !”  It  will  be  a  cause  for  joy  and  not  for  grief, 
if  on  the  review  of  life  you  can  say  with  the  apostle, 
that  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  you  had  suffered  afflic¬ 
tions,  necessities,  distresses,  stripes,  imprisonments, 
tumults,  labours,  watchings,  fastings,  cold,  naked¬ 
ness,  perils  by  sea  and  perils  by  land.  Paul  would 
not  willingly  erase  one  item  from  this  long  catalogue. 
Each  of  them  is  now  a  brilliant  in  his  diadem  of  glory. 

Your  second  duty  is  to  throw  your  whole  heart 
into  the  work,  and,  while  here,  into  the  work  of  pre¬ 
paration,  and  into  the  life  of  the  Seminary.  When 
a  man  joins  a  particular  church,  he  is  bound  to  iden¬ 
tify  himself  with  it,  and  to  strive  to  sustain  and  pro¬ 
mote  its  church-life.  He  must  attend  its  services 
and  co-operate  in  its  measures.  He  must  not  go 
first  to  one  church  and  then  to  another,  to  gratify 
his  curiosity  or  his  taste.  He  must  be  governed  by 
a  sense  of  duty  and  not  by  inclination  ;  thus  only 
can  he  promote  his  own  edification  and  the  welfare 
of  the  church.  Every  institution  like  this  has  its  dis¬ 
tinctive  life,  and  its  members  are  under  a  solemn 
obligation  to  sustain  and  promote  it,  by  a  faithful 
attendance  on  its  services,  whether  in  the  class-room, 
the  chapel,  the  conference,  or  prayer  meeting.  As 
the  character  of  a  church  depends  on  its  members, 


36 


so  the  character  of  this  Seminary  depends,  at  least 
for  the  time  being,  on  you. 

Finally,  in  the  name  of  my  colleagues,  I  have  one 
request  to  make  of  you.  It  is  a  small  matter  to  you, 
but  a  great  matter  to  us.  We  beg  that  each  of  you, 
as  long  as  he  lives,  would  daily  pray  that  the  officers 
and  students  of  this  Seminary  may  be  full  of  faith 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Let  others  believe  and  say 
what  they  please,  we  believe  and  know  that  God  is 
the  hearer  of  prayer.  If  each  of  the  two  thousand 
surviving  alumni  of  this  Institution  would  daily  offer 
that  prayer,  what  a  place  Princeton  would  be  ! 


